Yorkshire by Steam (Based in York)

Discover the natural beauty of Northern England

Discover glorious Yorkshire, from the edge of the rugged Dales
to its spectacular coastline, via the majestic North York Moors.
Enjoy ancient York, delightful Brontë country and scenic railway
journeys.

Historic York

Discover more about this walled city and its centuries of
history on a guided walking tour of the main sights. During the
tour you see landmarks such as the magnificent Minster, which is
one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe. With its
wide nave and chapter house, the Minster features stunning
stained-glass windows, and can be seen towering over the
surrounding crooked medieval buildings from almost everywhere in
the city, but is most impressive when observed up close. You also
take in the quaint Shambles, one of the world's best preserved
medieval streets. Lined with overhanging timber-framed buildings,
some of which date back to the 14th century, the Shambles is one of
the most famous cobbled streets in York.

Following the tour you are free to continue exploring at your
own pace. Perhaps visit the National Railway Museum. With over 100
locomotives on display, the National Railway Museum is the largest
of its kind in the world, and offers a fascinating insight into the
history of train travel. Highlights include a replica of George
Stephenson's Rocket, a 1960s Japanese Shinkansen bullet train, and
Queen Victoria's own saloon railway carriage, dating back to 1869.
York also has two wonderful interactive history sites: for its
Viking heritage, visit the Jorvik Centre, or for the bloodier side
of the city's history, take a trip to the York Dungeon. Both
exhibits bring the sounds and smells of York's history to life,
whilst actors portray the real-life struggles of Viking women,
9th-century coin makers, and even Dick Turpin, who met his fate in
York. For a more relaxing afternoon, take a stroll around the city
walls, or enjoy a drink in one of the many pubs York is famous for
- some of which have been around since the 16th century

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Join the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in Pickering for today's
excursion to Whitby, one of Yorkshire's most popular seaside
resorts. The enthralling journey by steam* crosses the breathtaking
landscape of the North York Moors National Park. Travelling in
heritage carriages, you pass through Goathland, better known as
'Aidensfield' in TV's Heartbeat. The journey continues through
hidden valleys and open heather moorland as the train makes its way
to the charming fishing port of Whitby. Crowned by its brooding
Abbey, the town is famous as the setting of Bram Stoker's Dracula,
which incorporated local folklore to heighten the spooky tale.
Known for its beautiful Whitby jet jewellery, this seaside resort
boasts dozens of jewellery shops selling authentic jet accessories.
Home to some of the UK's finest fish and chip restaurants, Whitby
is a town divided by its harbour and the River Esk Estuary. The
older part of the town, located on the East bank, is a maze of
narrow medieval streets with a rich historic identity just waiting
to be explored, while the newer town is found on the opposite bank.
Enjoy free time here to explore the endless charm and surprising
contrasts of the quaint cobbled streets that lead down to its
handsome harbour. If you're feeling adventurous, why not climb the
199 steps up to glorious Whitby Abbey? Here, you can enjoy
unimpeded panoramic views of the coastal town. You also have time
to perhaps sample the local catch before the return journey by
heritage railway.

Worth Valley and the Brontës

We travel by coach to Keighley, where we enjoy a nostalgic
journey on the heritage Keighley & Worth Valley railway. The
steam-hauled trip takes us up the Worth Valley to Oxenhope, passing
the rugged hills, rustic stone cottages and wild farmland
immortalised in the 1970 film 'The Railway Children', which was
filmed here. The on-train tour guides tell us more about the
history of the railway whilst we pass through the West Yorkshire
countryside. We also have a chance to visit Vintage Carriage Museum
in Ingrow and the goods shed in Oxenhope. We then continue to the
picturesque village of Haworth, surrounded by beautiful moorland
and the Pennine Hills. Here we visit the Brontë Parsonage, which
was home to the famous literary sisters. It was here, amid the
wonderfully dramatic landscape, that the Brontës were inspired to
write novels such as Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.

Departure information

Departure Times

On many of our UK & Ireland tours, you may check in at the
first hotel on your itinerary anytime
after 14:00; your Tour Manager will be
available
between 16:00 and 18:00.
However, if you are arriving later, you can meet your Tour Manager
before dinner from 19:00.

Our tour guide was excellent as was the guide who gave us the tour of York. The Yorkshire moors railway was quite long which gave time to appreciate a steam hauled journey. The worth valley railway train ride was disappointing as it was diesel hauled and steam was not scheduled however the train sheds tour was very good. The Bronte parsonage had a lot to read however as it was small we had to queue to get in and as it was raining those of us slower ones got a little damp. Our coach driver for the two days of steam was fantastic giving us very knowledgeable commentary and varied the routes back from the outward routes so we saw a lot more of the Yorkshire area. It certainly sowed the seeds for a return visit to York and the surrounding area. If I could work out how to do half a star you would have 4.5 stars

Mrs S Crowson

The holiday was advertised as Yorkshire By Steam. However, on the Wednesday it was a diesel train! Also, I did not consider that the hotel was worthy of a four star rating. The main menu choices appeared to be thrown together. Paying £13 a day for the hotel car park is not really acceptable.

Mr G King

Very good tour well balanced between railways and places of interest. Great coach driver who explained many the places we visited. Location of base hotel was very good easy access from York station on number 7 bus and walking distance to centre of York.

Would have been five star but vegetarian food option in hotel not good

Mr B Copping

All aspects were excellent apart from the hotel, which was adequate but a bit frayed round the edges.

Mr S Davidson

excellent short break with good balance between organised activities and free time

Mr L Posner

Well organised - great itinerary and good accommodation.

Mr D Bretherton

Well organised and enjoyable

Mr L Shewry

very good tour manager in Sandra all very well organised only thing not as good as last year with your sister company was the self service dinner and the food was mainly cool the vegetables and pototoes